Old Scars
by Nocturnalwhitewolf
Summary: Lately Stella's been showing increased anger against the humans. Is she nostalgic of the missing half of her forest home, or does it run deeper? What happened to her that made her so spiteful to them and so selfconscious. And why now? Some necessary OCs.
1. Chapter 1

Rated T for coarse language and graphic violence

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I do not own Over the Hedge, nor do I claim ownship of anything pertaining to the movie nor comic book. Enjoy the story! ^_^

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The moonlight stabbed lucidly through the gloomy night sky at the institutional suburbia of El Rancho Camelot. It's street lights shot every star from the sky, leaving the lunar satellite as the sky's lone resident. It was quiet. Far too quiet for a village such as this, as if this calm were to precede a storm.

The tall oak overseeing the woodland creatures' log home seemed as if it had been painted on the canvas. There wasn't even a breeze to disturb it, nor fly to move it's autumn colored leaves. On that oak, the shining black skunk, Stella, sat hunched on one of the lower branches. Her emerald eyes reflected the moonlight beautifully, as did her tears.

"I'm sorry." She whispers to the silent night. "I couldn't save you…" She curls her legs into her chest, wiping her eyes into her arm. "I'm sorry." She hears a noise, like a scurrying behind her toward the trunk. "Who's there?" She said without any emphasis nor movement. It was like the life had been sucked out of her.

"Who do you think?" The light, female voice was too young to Penny's.

Stella turned to the figure. "What are you doing up, Heather?" Stella said, wiping her face again. "It's almost midnight."

"I'm sixteen, Stella" The possum came into Stella's view, her sapphire blue eyes glowing like true gems. "I make up for it in the morning…" She sat down next to Stella, who had turned so her left side faced the tree trunk. "What's your excuse?"

"Just can't sleep." She said sadly.

"I didn't think you were one to cry over insomnia…" Heather remarked.

"I wasn't crying! I was just… coming up here to clear my head is all." Her defensive voice was more obvious than she would of liked.

Heather smiled innocently. "You should've said 'I have something in my eye,' I think that would've been more believable." Heather chuckled under her breath, but Stella rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait." Heather said, her expression drooped. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I forgot about Tiger."

Stella almost smiled at Heather's guess, but that humor turned into an idea. "Yeah, well… he was a snob anyway. He doesn't know what he's missing, right?" A feigned smile might have been painful, but worth it. Heather seemed to have taken the bait.

Heather smiled. "Right, and don't you ever forget it." She leaned back on her arms, looking up at the oak's workings. "What a jerk. You can do better than him."

"Well, it'll take some time." Stella's lies were adding up. She could really care less about that past relationship, and harbored no real resentment. The breakup hurt, of course, but it was a chapter of her life that was written, read, and closed for good. It was in the past and evoked no emotion anymore.

"Well," Heather began. "There are some cat-boys interested in you." She smiled playfully. "Not the stuck up house cat type, like tiger, but there are still some nice ones. I could hook you up."

"Thanks for the offer." Stella said, waving her off. "But I like to make what I earn, you know. I can find people if I need them."

"Okay…" Heather said in her best 'you don't know what you're missing' voice. "But just saying, the tan one has a cute ass." They looked at each other and started cracking up.

"Go to bed, hormones." Stella joked to Heather.

"Right, I think the lack of sleep's costing me my brain-mouth-filter." She began down the trunk. "I'll see you in the morning." She climbed down to the base, and then silently off into the log.

Stella sat alone again. The smiling and the joking hadn't started to alleviate her misery. But she was tired, and she'd cried all the tears she could afford for one night. She crawled to the crotch of the branch and tree and laid down on her side.

Just as she was beginning to fall asleep, a bright light startled her awake. In this light, the beauty of her coat was revealed. She'd maintained her 'make-over' well.

She looked down at the source of this blinding radiance, a frustration on her face. "Some of us are actually trying to sleep, asshole!" She yelled to the light. Nothing happened about the light. Then a man walked out, balding and a bit overweight. Stella's expression turned even more sour. She began down the trunk of the tree.

Once at the foot of the tree, she picked up a nearby rock. "I'll show you!" She said. She walked through the hedge that separated the two properties. Once on the grass she hid behind a lawn gnome so as not to be seen by the human. She watched him turn away to his backdoor. _Planning on getting out of this unscaved?_ She tossed the rock in to the air and caught it. _Not a chance! _

She came out from behind her cover and threw the rock as hard as she could at the bulb. It shattered, and the light was no more.

"Hey!" The man's husky and coarse voice was a satisfying gesture to Stella. "Who's out there! Show yourselves, vandals!" His yelling attracted the attention of the neighbors.

"Shut the hell up, Whindle! We're trying to sleep!" Yelled the one next door.

"Piss off, Gurney!" He yelled back.

"Piss off? You asshole, I'll fuck you up!"

"Go for it, bitch!" Whindle yelled. "I'd like to see that!"

Stella watched as her plan unfolded, a sadistic smile coming to her face. "Amazing." She remarked. "All it took was one stone, and the humans are in the palm of my hand." She began to walk back to the hedge, swaying her hips and looking over her shoulder. "Who's in control now?"

Once on the other side of the hedge she turned her head from the screaming and to her foreground. Leaning on the oak tree, RJ stood with his arms folded. "Evening, Stella" He said, obviously annoyed.

"I woke you up?" She asked. RJ nodded. "Sorry sugar, why don't you try to go back to sleep. I think I'll do the same." She hurried off in the log's direction, but RJ stepped in front of her path.

"I saw the whole thing, Stella." He said. "What's going on? Why didn't you just go inside the log, or by my place. You could've avoided all this." His sky blue eyes were piercing in the moonlight, as if they could suck the truth out of you.

Stella's jaw tightened. "How much longer are we supposed to be taking shit from them?" She raised her voice. "How is anything going to get done if we just 'run and hide' every time a human goes against us?" The anger in her voice was more than present. "They think they can control us, like we're slaves to their little remotes. 'Move here, sleep there, starve to death so I can have a new mall.' They took half of our home from us while we were asleep, and now he gets to wake me up in the middle of the night too? Why? What makes _them_ so invulnerable and _us _so subordinate?"

"Stella, you know the answer to that." RJ says calmly. "It sucks, but that's how it is. They are bigger, stronger, and more durable than we are. Getting revenge would just provoke a counter attack, one that could kill us all." RJ's voice got more commanding, more intense. "Is that what you want? To have us slaughtered by these things?" He was standing over her a little.

Stella felt her heart beat faster, her eyes warming and bracing for tears. She quickly clenched her teeth to ignore the feeling, covering it with anger. "You know, I've seen you as a lot of things RJ. A leader, a friend… even a cute guy." She half smiled, but then turned serious again. "But until tonight, I never saw you as a coward." She pushed him aside and stormed off into the forest, angry tears in her eyes.

RJ stayed where he was, thinking over what had just happened. _Stella's unpredictable_, He thought. _But this isn't just a random outburst…_ He sat down at the foot of the tree, his thoughts racing each other to a conclusion. _It can't be about Tiger, that was almost a month ago, and she isn't one to dwell on those kinds of things._ He lightly palmed his forehead a few times, as if trying to get his brain to work faster. _Is she really just upset about the humans' dominance…?_

Yeah! It's another Over the Hedge story because I think there's a lot of unexplored depth to the characters. Hope you enjoyed the introduction, and please comment. I take criticism well, and compliments are very much apreciated as well.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning star shone jauntily in the vivid blue sky. The yellowing grass blended perfectly with the light brown trees and multicolored leaves. Out of the hollowed log, now bustling with bags of chips and other semi-lethal human treats, came that pale green turtle in that oversized shell. Verne startled out of his home to find the rest of his family sleeping outside. The invasiveness of the year's foraging had removed them from their home. Following a yawn and a morning stretch, he opened his mouth to awaken his family. "Alright everybody…" he looked at a cell phone that was too his side. "It's nine thirty-six, guys. Everybody up. Only thirty nine-days left until winter." he called. "That doesn't leave us much time to sleep in."

Though grogginess was in no shortage, the interspecies family arose from their slumber. "Ugh…" Heather groaned.

"What's wrong, dear?" Ozzie said gently.

Heather put her hand on her head as she got to her feet. "Not the best night's sleep I've ever had."

Hammy leaped in between them. "Well I slept GREAT!" Hammy squealed. "I-had-a-dream-that-I-was-a-king-of-a-castle-made-of-ice-cream-and-THERE-WERE-COOKIES-EVERYWHERE!" Hammy's fast moving speech pattern outpaced Heather's Monday morning brain.

Heather's half opened eyes just stared at the nearly vibrating squirrel. "Th…That's nice, Hammy." She mumbled blearily.

Hammy's hand gestures moved no slower than his speech. "Speaking-of-cookies-I'm-gonna-go-get-some-in-the-forest-where-I-keep-my-cookies-under-the-tree-three-trees-to-the-right-of-the-log-that-fell-afew-days-ago-and-eight-meters-to-the-north-of-RJ's-home-so…" He takes a large gasp of air. "I'll-see-you-later-ciao-adios-BYE!" He dashes off, leaving Heather and Ozzie to decipher what had just occurred.

Heather massaged her sinuses. "I need coffee…" She grunted.

"There's so much potential in that boy" Ozzie said.

"He's about as smart as your average tree, and he moves like a coffee loaded crack-head going through withdrawals." Heather growled.

"Well, he is hyperactive, but not unintelligent." Ozzie analyzed. "He managed to put that sentence together faster than we could comprehend it, and he remembered the exact location of his treat amongst an unintelligible forest."

Heather sighed. "Whatever… Penny?" She called.

"Yes dear?" Penny unattached herself from her conversation with her mate.

"Can you make a pot of coffee?" Heather pleaded. "I'm in desperate need of it."

"Sure thing, sweety." She says in her typical northern maternal voice.

"Thanks." She went into the log to get herself breakfast.

Penny went over to the battery powered coffee machine the group had stolen the other week. "Oh, that's strange…" She said. "Heather." She called. "Dear, there's already coffee made."

Heather sighed happily. "Hallelujah, there is a God." She remarked. She began her way to the coffee maker.

"Alright…" Verne began a head count, muttering the names under his breath as he went. "Penny, Lou, Bucky, Spike, Quillo, Heather, Ozzie, Hammy left…" He frowned. "Hey has anyone seen RJ and Stella?"

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When the sun hit the leaves the way it did, it created a blurry green glow as Stella opened her eyes. Her vision was vague as she lay with her eyes half open. "Hhmmm…" She groaned peacefully.

"Good morning." She heard from behind her. She sat up quickly and turned to see RJ, holding two doll-set cups of coffee. "You look like you could use one of these." RJ walked to her and handed her a coffee cup.

"Thanks." She said with a bashful smile. "Early bird?"

"Insomniac." He said, sipping his coffee. "Look, we're a hop and a skip from my place. Want to come over?" He looked at her with those steel blue eyes. "I want to talk to you."

Stella sighed. "If it's about last night, I was PMSing." She tried to stay serious as she fed RJ that load of bullshit. RJ gave her a look like he wasn't buying it. "The hell you looking at? That's my story and I'm stickin' to it."

RJ smiled. "Just come over. I got a TV and more than enough couches to accommodate company." He chuckled a little. "And I know when you're PMSing, Stella. I have it marked on my calendar as the monthly Armageddon."

Stella chuckled a little at that. "Fine, funny guy." She said with cooing eyes at RJ. "Lead the way." She rose her arm to shoulder level at RJ with her hand limp. RJ grabbed it and helped her up, leading her to his domicile.

RJ plopped down on his TV chair, taking hold of the remote. "Anything you want to watch?" He asked Stella as she sat on the armrest.

"Naw, take your pick." She said, loosely holding her coffee with both hands.

"You think HBO has some "True Blood" reruns on? I missed last night." He flipped through the channels.

"The porno with a plot "True Blood?" You watch that shit too?" She joked.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." RJ said with his throat. "It's only a little grimy." Stella shot him a look. "Okay," RJ laughed. "So it's pretty graphic. It's a good show though."

"No, I can't disagree with ya there. Just don't let the kids see it." She fixed her eyes on the screen. "They're already cussing up storms from that "Call of Duty" game you got them last Christmas." She sipped from her cup.

"Well, kids will be kids. Sponge brains and all." He watched the TV as he continued searching for some entertainment. "They just soak up anything and everything they hear…" He looked to her. "Like 'I'm trying to sleep asshole'… and such."

Stella peered down for a second, then to the raccoon on her left. "About last night…" She began. "I'm sorry I blew up on you. I know you were only trying to help." She sighed. "And I don't think you're a coward…"

"Water under the bridge" RJ said, turning off the TV. "Besides, you called me a cute guy. That's gotta count for something." He laughed.

"Well, don't take too seriously." She laughed. "That was a long time ago and it only lasted a about a week."

RJ's expression melted a bit. "I'm actually concerned about you, especially after last night." He turned his body to her. "What's going on?"

Stella put her cup down, a sad and bashful grin on her face. "I appreciate the concern, RJ, but I'm a big girl… I can handle it."

"See, I know you think that." RJ said, gesturing with his hands. "But if it's enough to make you blow up at human thirty or forty times your size, it's more than you can handle alone." RJ's eyes almost plead to her. "It doesn't make you weak to accept help."

Stella smiled nervously again. "Well, with that gut, that human was well over forty times my size." She joked. RJ's face made it obvious that he wasn't amused. "Look, just forget about it okay. I'm sorry for waking you up and calling you names, but that's all you're getting."

"Stella, Come on." RJ said getting up. "I'm one of your closest friends. I can help you." He gets closer. "Don't make me beg."

"Holy shit!" Stella grunted at his face. "You don't know when to give up. I don't want to talk about it, and that's it. Don't push me, I will push back." Her tone is angry and she's staring him down. She walks forward offensively, pushing RJ back. "I don't go asking all kinds of questions about you! Like why you always need your alone time. Like where you came from, or what made you as fucked up as you are!"

RJ leaned back a bit from Stella's onslaught. "Is that what this is about?" RJ said, remaining just loud enough and firm enough to compete with Stella. "Where you came from? What happened to you that made you the way you are?"

Stella felt the rush of emotions again, the warmth in her eyes, the choke in her throat. "You don't know SHIT about me, and you never will!" She felt it coming, and she couldn't stop it. She turned away to hide her head as she released a silent but powerful sob. It was like screaming without a voice, and it brought tears rushing down her face.

RJ couldn't help but feel bad for her. After all, his past was pretty traumatic, so he could relate. "Stella…" He finds himself at a loss for words. "Stella, I can help you. You just need to tell what it is. What happened to you."

Stella sniffled hard, still turned from RJ. "God, look at me…" She said woefully. "I'm gonna be thirty next month, and here I am crying like an infant." She turned to RJ, the fur on her cheeks ruffled and wet and her eyes pink and dropping. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

"Stella, its okay." RJ assured as he walked over to hug her. "But don't you see what I'm saying?" He said in the embrace. Stella was holding him tightly with her eyes closed. RJ looked down at her gently. "You can't shoulder all this pain by yourself, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You seem to be doing a pretty good job." She says softly. "Everyone knows you got a messed up past, but you ain't never told anyone about it."

"I've told people over the years, Stella." He says matter-of-factly. "You guys aren't the only friends I've ever had, just the only one's I've called family."

Stella breaks off of the embrace. "You really want to know what going on?" RJ nods his head. "Okay," She sighs. "Here goes…" She pauses for a while, closing her eyes to muster up the courage to say what she's about to say. "Today…November 13th… 2011" Another hesitant sigh. "It's the anniversary of my family's murder."

RJ looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, Stella I'm sorry. What happened?"

Stella's jaw tightened. "Damn, RJ. Now I gotta explain it too?"

"Well, yeah." RJ said as if it were obvious. "Just saying what happened isn't nearly as relieving as explaining it. Trust me, it works."

Stella looked spitefully at the raccoon. "You're barely in your twenties, RJ. Don't take it the wrong way, but I don't see how someone as young as you can help me."

"Just because you met me as a teenager in '06 doesn't mean I'm still too young and inexperienced to help you." He said. "I'm going on twenty-six, and remember, I was the one who had the experience to prevent you from starving the 2006 winter."

"I don't know…" Stella folded her arms and sniffled. "My past is pretty messed up."

"Trust me Stella." RJ reassured. "I'm good at this."

"Well… okay…" Stella began. "But don't say I didn't warn you…"

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I don't claim ownership of anything related to"Call of Duty" nor "True Blood," and my mentioning of them does not necessarily express my opinion(s) about the products.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the secomd chapter to this and that you look forward to the next chapter. I got to this one very quickly, with only an eight-teen hour difference. This isn't gaurunteed, I'm afriad, but I'll try to update as soon as possible. Please comment! I apreciate both critiques and compliments. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**This is told from Stella's point of view (POV), as will the next few chapter be.**

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It was perhaps the saddest, most barren desert of a forest there had ever been. The sun could burn holes in your eyes, the earth had been stripped of grass, and only stumps lie in place of the once lush oasis. It was by far the most difficult year my family ever had to go through. Even the sky, which was once a beautiful blue, had been smoked out and destroyed by them… and when they came, they took everything.

The whirling engines and turbines of their giant machines had been burned in my head since their arrival. Those bulldozers and chainsaws… the forest couldn't fight back and neither could we. It hurt… I can't lie about that. To see our home demolished, to watch our food supply gobbled up by those monsters… and the look on my mother's face…

"Mommy?" That little runt of a skunk said. I was six years old at the time, and an ugly little thing. I barely stood at my momma's knees at the time. But seeing her like that, tears in her eyes and mouth gaping… she was always so pretty, but it was like all that she ever was or ever could be was just sucked out of her. As a six year old, I couldn't take that shit.

My father came up to me and pulled me away from her, like he was taking a mugger off of his beloved. He was a miserable bastard. "Leave her alone." He told me in that gravely, angry voice of his. "She doesn't want to talk to you right now."

I was a child; I didn't know what was going on. All I got out of all this was that we weren't living in the same place anymore, that the forest looked different, and the air stank real bad. "Is mommy crying because of the big people?" I asked.

"They aren't called 'big people'" He mocked me in front of my big sister, who was trying to pay attention to my mom. "They're called humans Stella. Mother fucking humans." He sighed.

"Why are the mother fucking humans making mommy cry." If I think about it now, it must've been pretty funny to see a six year old imitate her father like that. He obviously didn't think so.

He smacked me across the face, knocking me to the floor. I didn't even feel it at first, he me so hard. "Don't you ever use language like that around me, you stupid little runt!" He roared. Then the pain set in. It was like my face was on fire, and then got torn off, put through a blender, and smacked back on. I cried as I held my reddened face, as any child would. The miserable fuck took no pity on me. I think he was proud to see what he'd done, to be honest. What kind of father takes pride in making his own daughter cry? "Well what do you know…" He said. "I didn't think you could get any uglier." He watched me cry, amused by my tears. "You proved me wrong."

He walked away, leaving me in a fetal position on the chilling forest floor, or what was left of it. He went over to my momma, acting all sorry and sympathetic about the forest. I don't even think he cared, honestly. He was just sucking up to get sucked on in my opinion… but maybe he did love her, I don't know.

My sister came over, holding my baby brother. She was always so pretty and kempt, like she was waiting for a modeling shoot that could occur at any moment. She was sixteen, bright violet eyes like my momma, silky black fur, even her white streaks were barely visible in certain lights. She was everything I wasn't and I hated her for it, but she was always so nice to me. I still miss her.

"Stella?" She said, that velvety voice sounded like a harp. She bounced the baby a few times in her arms to keep it entertained.

"What do you want, Clara?" I said, quickly stopping the flow of water from my ugly-ass face.

"Stella, don't let him get to you." She sat down next to me. "Daddy can be a real jerk sometimes, he can't help it."

"He's never a jerk to you!" I whined, finally looking at her with my weary eyes. "You've always been his favorite. He never hits you, or calls you ugly, or makes fun of you…" Every muscle in my abdomen tightened up and I began to mourn my helplessness again. I felt like nothing in the world could've made this pain better. Not Clara, not mom… I was helpless in my own family, something no child should have to go through. "Why does he hate me?" I wailed.

She looked as if she was going to cry as well. She hugged me tightly, as I just continued weeping to the side. At least I knew someone in the family cared. "Stella…" She said in the embrace. Her fur was so soft, it almost felt wrong to touch, like I wasn't worthy of it with my raggedy coat. "Stella, he doesn't hate you." She released me to look me in the eyes, a gesture I had trouble doing. "I'm sure he just wants you to be the best you can be… it his funny way of showing he cares."

"Why doesn't he show that to you?" I asked.

She sighed, knowing that the bullshit speech that was meant to comfort me wasn't working as she'd planned. "Because he has a different way of showing his love to everyone." She lied. What choice did I have but to believe her. "He loves mom in a way that he doesn't love us, and you in a way that he doesn't with me."

I looked away, trying to believe what she was saying. "But why does he have to hurt me so much? Why does he treat me like an outcast, and you like a princess?" I didn't know what else to say at the time, if there was anything more to be said. I know my sister was only trying to make me feel better, but what I felt from that so called father wasn't love. It was evil, and she knew it just as well as I did. This little game of pretend didn't last the summer, and I knew I was right when she couldn't answer my question.

That baby though, just born a few months ago, was already walking around. It was funny in a way, because most babies walk at around thirteen months. But naw, not Corey. Only five months old, and I think he walked as well as I did, a regular genius baby. But he was still cute, with those big blue eyes that seemed to see everything. I envied him in a way.

Momma would always talk to him, pay attention to him. It's not like I could get her attention if I tried, but I still loved her. She would always fix me up after dad beat me, or I just stumbled over my clumsy self. She'd always make the best fruit salads and meals. She was my magic woman, the thing I always wanted to be. I only wished that she loved me the same way I loved her. After the forest came down all that changed though…

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This was a short chapter, sorry about that. It was sort of an introduction to Stella's family and related problems. I hope you look forward to the next chapter of "Old Scars", and please comment with critiques or compliments or whatever else you want to through in :D. Please stay tuned, I'll try to upload these quickly, despite the sudden influx of schoolwork XP. Thanks for reading, and have an extrapleasant day.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few weeks passed the humans' desecration of our home. Food, the one thing on everyone's mind, was what the humans had taken from us. A few stray ones found our food supply, consisting of only the best berries and wild fruit. They took it, leaving us to starve, only caring about themselves. They're rotten creatures, greedy and unsympathetic.

"Search harder!" My father would scream, a desperate cry for sustenance. "Do you want your little brother to die? To starve to death at your hands?" I could feel his rancid breath on my face as he yelled.

"No, sir." I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. He held me by my upper arms, so tight that it left bruises.

"Then search!" He threw me down, and I ran away crying. I went for more food, even though my father and sis' were barely moving from their locations. It was a helpless struggle, seeing the tyrannical father of mine waltz around like he owned every tree stump he saw. If that were the case, he could certainly keep it.

This was my second day without food, and I was hurting. The barbarian and momma had eaten, and my baby brother was even keeping his plump little cheeks. My sister starved herself half the time, eating only enough to keep her from dying, and giving the rest to me. She was so nice, but it was wearing on her. No food for her meant chronic headaches, lack of sleep, and constant pain. I was too young to see it at the time, but she was ready to sacrifice herself for me, even though everyone else hated me.

As I went down to the local watering hole, I saw something. A bird, lying down on its side, almost dead. This was my chance, and it would be the only one I'd get. I needed food, and so did the family. The thing was about to die anyway, so I picked up a sharp rock and paced quietly toward the bird. I was within inches, then only a hair away. I raised my arm, preparing to strike…

It all happened so fast. The bird fluttered to life, as I landed the first blow, the rock breaking off into its stomach! Then it came at me, it's beak stabbing at me! I was screaming for help, hoping someone would find me. The bird was twice my size, just pecking at me, cutting me skin until bone started to show! I fell down as the bird continued at me. I was beginning to black out.

"Stella!" I heard. Within an instant, I saw Clara, armed with a rock, beating the bird's beak sideways! There was blood everywhere, on the beak, the rock, me, Clara. She managed to ward it off and it flew off into the distance. I was relieved, but this certainly wasn't over. Clara looked down at me. "My God…" She said, awestruck by what she saw. "We need to get you cleaned up, I'm taking you to mom."

"No!" I said, realizing the blood in the back of my mouth and spitting it out. "Dad will be mad!" I tried to plead her with my eyes. She knew dad had a temper with these sorts of things, and now I put Clara at risk… I couldn't imagine what would happen to me if I came to him.

Clara hesitated, "Well it's not like I can leave you here…" She thought for a brief moment, eying my wounds. "I'll call mom over, and make sure not to attract dad's attention." She went off without another word, fleeing quickly to help.

And so I was alone again. The sun still blazed even though it was mid-October, nearly blinding me. I guess the blood loss lowered my light tolerance, so I closed my eyes. And that was when the thought came to me for the first time, at only six years old. _Daddy hates me…_ I thought. _Momma doesn't care about me… My need for food could kill my sister…_ Then the tears rolled, my abdomen tightened, my face turned into itself. It was the worst feeling imaginable, to know that you're only place in the world is to cause people suffering, that you're very existence could kill the ones you care about. _They would be better off without me…_ I felt like death was so close, like I could finally relieve my family of their burden. _If Clara would just take a little too long to get mom… If I just pushed it along a little quicker… maybe I could do it. _I closed my eyes, I felt so tired. I fell asleep almost instantly, and it was the worst sleep I'd ever gotten.

* * *

"Stella?" I heard my mom's voice. It was always quivering, no matter what, like she was afraid or cold or something. It was dusk, maybe twenty minutes from when I last saw Clara. It was a long walk from here to our camp, and no doubt it took some time to get dad to stay and mom to go.

I felt the bandages on my arm, the potions she always carried with her were dumped on my open wounds. They stung, but it was a pain that felt good… like you knew it was helping. She dressed the bandages and looked at me, those violet eyes… they always looked like they wanted to tell me something, but the words never came.

"Stella," She began, helping me to my feet. "You've lost a lot of blood, and you'll need to replace it" Her words confused me. "Go to the lake and drink a lot of water. That will dilute you're blood and keep it flowing through you so it can regenerate faster." She looked down, sad eyed. "You'll also need food dear, and a lot of it."

I thought that that was something good. I finally got to eat, and I wouldn't have to starve anymore. But then it dawned on me. That was food that we didn't have. What was she saying… was I going to… die?

"Come home dear," She said, leading me to the temporary camp. It took us a few minutes, but we got there. I felt like I was going to fall over. My head was light and my feet couldn't keep me in one place.

My father and sister were eating some sort of fruit. The rations were larger than normal, which was rare. It looked like I might eat after all. My momma lead me to the dining area, where she cut me the final slice of the fruit, which I believe was a pear. We both sat down in the circle my family made while eating. It wasn't long before my presence attracted attention.

"Melina?" His eyes were cold, heartless as always. "Why is it here?" My father said, glancing quickly at me.

"We have some room, Bruno." My mom said. This was the first time she's ever stood up for me. If only I wasn't so occupied with my food, I wish I could've actually paid attention.

"She's eating your food!" He said, standing up and pointing at me. I sped my eating, knowing that it would soon be taken from me if I didn't.

"I'm not very hungry, and she is." She couldn't look at him, that much I caught. She was obviously terrified.

Father took no more time explaining. He took another look at me, this time with a double take. "What the hell?" He said, glaring at my bandages. He groaned, turning toward my mom. "It's injured now? Great…" He moaned at my mom.

"It's quite in check…" Mom said, her violet eyes looking down.

"No it's not." He said. "I've seen bandaging like that before! She needs more food to heal, right?" He yelled. I saw my sister offer to leave with me, and I of course accepted. "Don't you fucking move, runt!" He yelled without looking at me. Then he turns… those eyes… so hateful. "Now we have to feed you extra, nurture you extra, and mommy you more just because you hurt yourself?" He came up to me and smacked the pear out of my hands, startling me. "Do you know what you've done to us?" He yells in my face. "We barely have enough food to survive while healthy! You have removed any chance of us surviving this hellhole!" He smacks me across the face, sending me flying backwards like a rag doll!

"Dad, stop!" Clara yells.

"Fuck off, Clara!" He yells. He kicks me in the back while I'm down, causing more blood to come up. Then he gets down and smacks me on my face, harder than he ever has! I tried to cover myself, crying hysterically, but when he'd hit my arms they felt as if they would break. I was, as usual, helpless.

"Bruno stop this!" My momma tried to pull him off of me. It earns her a hard slap in the face, grounding her. It was enough to make Bruno stop, her sad eyes looking up at him.

He looked at her, regret flowing off of him in the form of sweat. "I… I'm sorry honey…" He says. His apology falls on deaf ears, and my mom gets up and walks away. There was an anger in her step, but tears in her eyes.

I still lay on the floor whimpering., hoping he won't come back to hit me. Then he looks at me. "Look what you've done!" He says. I could only cry at my pain. "Shut the fuck up!" Thing I see is my father's fist hurling toward my face.

* * *

I woke up by the campfire, barely able to comprehend my surroundings. It was like my eyes had lost focus, and my mind was numb. I could make out two figures, too tall to be Clara and Corey. They were my parents… fighting none the lest.

"I don't care about that!" My mother strained her voice, but she never yelled. "She's under our wing, and you should start treating her like it!"

"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do Melina!" he yelled. "That isn't my child, I will not accept responsibility!" At the time, I didn't know what was going on. But it didn't take me too long.

"But you don't have to hate her!" She said.

"You don't have to love her!" He bellowed. "She is the last thing remaining of him! Every time I look in it's green eyes, I see his heartless face, mocking me from his grave! Are you telling me you loved him?" He growled, waving his arms in the air.

"How can you say that?" She cried, tears starting to form. "I was raped, Bruno! I had no control over it!"

That word… raped. I didn't know what it meant, but I could do the math. That was the first I heard of it… I am a rapist's child…It explained everything. I wasn't ready to hear that though… but then again, who is ever ready for that kind of news.

They saw me with my eyes open. "Damn it!" My 'father' grunted. He stormed over to me. "What did you hear?" He demanded out of me. I just stared at him, bewildered and perplexed. I couldn't speak or even move. "Are you deaf?" He retorted. I whispered something under my breath. "I can't hear you." He replied.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed. I darted off into the night, hearing my mother call my name in the wind. I couldn't stop running, I couldn't stop crying, and I couldn't stop thinking… My real father… was even worse than this asshole. It was too much, I couldn't take it… and I could never go back.

* * *

Yes... Stella's life is pretty messed up. Please comment! I love comments and I accept all varieties. Thank you for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

It was November, the warmest one yet. Without having to give away what little food I could find, I kept myself surprisingly well. It had been almost six months since the summer I'd left my family. It was hard to live out in the wilderness with no one to help you, but it was better than living with them. I didn't have to fend for anyone but myself, I didn't have to starve when food was right in front of me… compared to what hell I was living before, this was heaven. But even the best of things don't last, why should this?

The wounds that the bird left me with had left small patches where fur no longer grew. It wasn't until years later that a raggedy hair or so started to sprout on the scars on my arms and torso. Appearance, though, was never my top concern. I was out to survive, not become the next Miss America.

In those few months, I'd actually grown a bit. I walked with a stick that used to outsize me. It was perfect for the occasional stray bird or small animal that happened to cross me. I lived no where, and I lived everywhere… just drifting through the run down forest. But one day, that drifter lifestyle came to a screeching halt.

"Stella?" I heard from behind me. God, it had been so long since I'd heard the sound of my own name, but who could've been saying it? No one knew me anymore but my family, and I didn't want to speak to them. I decided to keep walking.

"Stella, it's me!" I hear from behind me. I didn't want to turn… the voice sounded far enough behind me that I could pretend to have not heard anything. I could always hide behind a tree, too.

Why was I such an idiot? I turned around, just to see who it was. "Clara?" I whispered to myself. She was only a few yards away, so it's not like she wouldn't see me run, or know where I was going.

"Stella," She ran up to me and locked me in a suffocating hug. She was so warm, so soft. Understand, I've been without any kind of contact with anyone, so this hug… it was strange to me. But at the same time, it was exactly what I needed.

"H…hi Clara." I hesitated, not exactly returning her embrace.

"How are you sister?" She said caringly, releasing the hug and making eye contact. "It's been so long, I've been worried sick about you."

Interesting phraseology. _I've_ been worried sick about you. What did that mean for the rest of the family. "I've been okay. How's mom and Corey?"

"Corey's fine, just the typical toddler." She said. "He always jumps and yells at all the wrong times, but he's still a cutie." She joked. "Mom's… seen better days, but I'm sure she'll feel much better when she sees you."

I tightened my jaw and stepped back, the most serious of faces on. "What makes you think I want to see her?" I said softly.

Clara frowned inquisitively. She wasn't expecting that kind of answer I suppose, but it was the only one she'd get. "Look, I know how dad was when you left. He's changed now, though. And momma really wants to talk to you… she misses you." Her persuasion fell on deaf ears.

"Well I don't miss her! I don't want to talk to her!" I rose my voice. "She lied to me my entire life! If you thing for a second I want to talk to someone like that, you're just wrong!"

"Stella…" Clara tried to be gentle, knowing the sensitivity of my situation. "She loves you, and she never meant to hurt you." She stood up from her crouching position. "The only reason she lied was…"

"Because She wanted to protect me? Because she loved me?" My yelling tested the limits of my soar throat. Water had been more scarce than food. "She never loved me! She neglected me, let Bruno beat me, starved me…" Each word I said made Clara cringe, as though they were a physical punishment. "And even through all that, she didn't even have the guts to tell me the truth!"

Clara was beginning to cry, probably because she knew I was right. "Stella…" she whispered.

"I'm not their little pet anymore! I'm not a pin cushion, I can only take so much!" I began to walk away. "So no. I'm not going to talk to that spiteful bitch!" I'm not even sure I was old enough to know what I was saying. It certainly left it's mark though, and it was enough to get her to back down.

"Stella please!" Clara begged me. "Just a visit, that's all. You can leave whenever you want to."

I turned back… looking at her. She was a pitiful sight. Soaked in tears and on her knees begging. How could I possibly say no?…

* * *

Dust was perhaps the most fitting time. The moon glowed prematurely through the orange sky. It wasn't like a normal sunset though… it was simply dusk. The darkest and dreariest one of my life.

_What the hell am I doing here?_ I thought as I walked with Clara. _I've got no reason to go back to them, they've only hurt me. _God, how I hated the wetness in my eyes. I was angry, but that's no reason to cry…especially not then, when I had to be strong. I'd tell them that I came to visit, and I'd be gone just as quickly. I wouldn't accept food, nor even look at my father. But those were just my thoughts, and they weren't real… nor would they come to fruition.

They'd been pretty much where I'd left them. A small, dirty hut that resembled a nest - hell, it probably was one once - in the middle of absolutely nowhere. But just looking at them… holy shit, they were different. Momma looked so much more tired, Corey looked so much bigger. Papa… well I think he was happy before he laid eyes on me.

"Stella?" Why did he have to be the first to say my name? He made it sound like I was being reprimanded.

"Stella?" Momma's tone was more cheery, but… apologetic. Damn well better have been too. She placed down my toddler little brother and walked up to me. You could tell by the hesitation in her step that she wasn't sure what to think of this. "I'm so glad you're home." She goes in to hug me, but I step back.

"No momma." I say harshly. She stared agape at me with those wide violet eyes. "I'm not staying. I came here for Clara… but not for you." I tried to be strong, bitchy even. It almost didn't work, I almost cracked or cried. But I didn't.

"Stella." Bruno grumbled in a commanding voice.

"No." I said plainly. "I don't plan on spending the night even. But I do want answers." I stared at my mother, still hurt by my rejection.

She looked down. "Very well." She smiled sadly at me.

"Melina, you don't have too. Just because she brings back the memory doesn't mean-"

"That's enough, Bruno." She commanded. There was a small silence. "It's been months since we've seen her, and she deserves some answers for what happened between us."

Bruno backed down, sitting back up against the hut. I spoke. "Why?" A simple and plain word, but it was tied to so many things. "Why did you have me think that all this time I was his daughter? That I was hated by the man who fathered me?" I kept it all together well, considering I was only a young child.

Momma took a deep breath. "It brought back memories Stella. Memories I didn't want to connect you with."

"But you let _him_ do whatever the hell he wanted to me." I wanted do cry so bad, but my anger was a sufficient mask.

"I didn't mean for it to be this way, Stella!"

"Intentions don't do shit!" I yelled at her, the first droplets starting to redden my iridium. "For my whole life I couldn't talked to _him_, I couldn't talk to _you_… I could barely talk to Clara without feeling like I was doing something wrong! I felt like shit my whole LIFE because of you!" I clawed away the tears. "DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU!"

She started to cry.

"No." I said. "It's too late for that shit now." I walked off, Bruno comforting my mom as I left. "I hope you all rot in this wasteland." I mumbled.

I couldn't have been more than a few yards away from the camp when I suddenly just… fell. I face planted in the forest floor, and for a second my head felt numb. I looked behind me, and there a frightening silhouette stood. Bruno, mad as all hell, came after me.

I got up, the delayed pain just coming in. It hurt so much that it was hard to see, but I wouldn't let hi see any weakness. I grasped the stick I'd used for hunting, ready to kill this guy.

"You arrogant little shit!" I could barely make out those muffled words that spewed from his mouth like venom. I suppose they always did. He charged at me, like a bull to a red cloth! I whipped my cane up and dodged him, clipping his side!

I looked at the sharp tip of the stick as that monster fell. There was blood… small but vivid droplets of sweet vengeance at my hands. I'd made the bastard bleed! God, it felt so good, to know that he could suffer by my hands now… I wanted more… so much more.

"You little cunt!" He yells as he gets up, the coldness in his eyes melted away by his rage. "Melina deserved better than you!" He charges at me again, fist high in the air! I hear the swish of his arm through the air, but it just barely misses my head… leaving him open.

I thrust my cane upward, piercing straight through the same spot as before! Blood sprayed on my face, a euphoric shower of what seemed a victory! That bastard would pay for what he did to me, and nothing could save him now!

But he didn't fall this time, he just stopped running. I saw him clutch his side in the darkness. It wasn't as much blood as I'd hoped, but it was something. He turned back to me, hunched over and gritting his teeth. "How does it feel, Bruno?" I spoke at him. "To be helpless… to know that no one will help you now that you're vulnerable?" I slammed the sharp tip of the cane into the ground. He only looked at me, those furious eyes trying so desperately to hurt me.

"_Bruno!"_ I heard from the distance. Mom's voice seemed so far away, and it was panicky. It was fitting, but her call would have to go unanswered. I looked at him, ripping my stick from the ground and clawing it with both hands. _"BRUNO!" _Mom's screams for her husband… they only made me angrier, and angry was the only thing I could afford to be right now. How could she call for him? It was like a slap in the face, an insult to what I'd been through.

I looked back down him, unscathed by my mothers cries, or by the helpless look in his face. "Now I'm going to make you suffer." I said. I whipped the cane hard against his face, cutting through his cheek! It was an array of reds, like a sunrise to the new life I'd live without him. His screams fueled me even more to finish what _he'd _started in me. I stabbed it through his shoulder, eagerly watching more victory fluids spray the forest campus to my delight! It was sinful yet right, merciless yet heroic, addicting yet I wanted to savor every weak and vulnerable breath he took.

He was on his hands and knees, coughing up small speckles of blood that spattered the wood chucked floor. I stood over him, repositioning the stick in my hands, making the point rest just above his back. There were no words that could be said, no thoughts that could be hindered or exchanged. Everyone knew what was going to happen, and no one could do shit about it.

He looked up at me, eyes red from the pain, and a jokerish gash running into his cheeks. I'd waited for this moment for so long. I could feel my breath speeding, my heart racing. Each vein coursed thick vengeance, swallowing that little kit, eating away at what ever that small being of innocence and trust was. All I wanted was the feeling of that spear of a stick traveling through his body like his hatred had gone through me, like his abuse and malevolence pierced my heart…

But then I heard something in the background. Something I hadn't heard since summer passed…

* * *

If this took any longer I don't know if it would've even occured to me that it still existed. Between internet problems, an unpredictable schedule, and afew other things, I'm gladI got this chapter done. I don't think I can even apologize at this point, because its been over two months since my last update on this site. It's been far too long, and i'm sorry if I'd been keeping anyone waiting. I'll try to get my shit back in order as soon as I can. Anyway, comment and fav!


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